Mechanical musical instrument



Patented Jan. }7, 1888..

I (No Model.)

W. B. TREMAINE.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT UN TED STATES PATENT OFFICE. v

WVILLIAM B.TTREMAINE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 376,725, dated January 1'7, 1888. 7 Application filed March 16, 1887. Serial No. 231,132. (No model.)

To all whom it 17mg concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM -l3. TREMAINE, of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Mechanical Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

My improvement relates to that class of me ehanical musical instruments which are made to play various tunes by means of using in conneetion therewith sheets, cards, or tablets provided with perforations or projections corresponding to the notes of the tunes which are to be played.

In the accompanying drawings 1 have represented my improvement as embodied in a izer, O, in a well-known manner.

mechanical musical instrument wherein reeds are employed as the sound-producing devices. Their controlling-valves are operated by pneumatic motors, and these pneumatic motors are caused. to act by a music-sheet made of paper provided with perforations representing a number of tunes or melodies arranged one after the other lengthwise of the musicsheet, the said music-sheet being caused to move in both directions by a pneumatic motor or engine opcrating in conjunction with rollers, to which the ends of the music-sheets are attached.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side viewof this mechanical musical instrument, one side of the case thereof being, however, removed, and a part of its wind-chest being represented in section. Fig. 2 is a top view of the instrument with the top cover removed, also with a portion of the music-sheet removed and certain parts shown in section.

Similar letters of reference designate corre sponding parts in all the figures.

A very brief description of the ordinary parts of the instrument will suffice. The case A may be of any desirable construction. As shown, it is provided with two covers, a a

B designates bellows, of which there may be any suitable number, and which may be actuated by any desirable mechanism. These bellows communicate with a receiver or equal- The equalizer communicates by a trunk, D, with what is ordinarily termed the wind-chest of the instrument, the latter being marked E. As

shown, the bellows are suction-bellows, and

therefore there will always be a partial vacuum in the wind-chest E.

F designates a bank or range of reeds. The cells in which they are contained communicate at one end with the atmosphere and at the other end with the wind-chest. The communication of these cells with the wind-chest is controlled by valves G, represented in dotted outline in Fig. 1. These valves will be normally closed by springs, and when the reeds are desired to speak will be opened by pneumatic motors H. The pneumatic motors are arranged within the wind-chest E. They will be normally collapsed by the levers constituting the valves G and the springs actuating the latter. Such motors communicate with ducts in a tracker, I, over whose upper end passes a music-sheet, J, which may be made of paper provided with perforations representing a number of tunes or melodies following one another successively in the direction of the length of the musiesheet.

It is important for me to remark that a short space is left in the music-sheet between the adjacent ends of two sets of perforations representing two tunes or melodies. Therewill therefore always be aninterval of time between the termination of the playing of one tune or melody and the beginning of the playing of another following it on the music-sheet. This spacing of the tunes or melodiesl have represented in Fig. 2.

The music-sheetJ is permanently connected at one end to a roller, J, which is usually termed the music-roller, and temporarily connected at the other end to another roller, J usually termeda take-up roller. The roller J is only temporarily fastened in the instrument. The roller J is, however, apermanent part of the instrument. The musicroller J, when fitted into the instrument, is adapted to be engaged by a shaft, J, which is longitudinally movable. The take-up roller is adapted to be engaged by a shaft, J which is also longitudinally.movable. A lever, J, fnlcrumed about midway between its ends, is provided with pins engaging with circumferential grooves in the shafts J 3 J so that it may shift said shafts longitudinally to engage the one with its roller and at the same time disengage the other from its roller.

' or backward, and during The shafts J J" are provided with pulleys receiving belts J J which also pass around pulleys affixed to the rotary shaft of a pneumatic motor or engine, K. The belt J is a crossed belt; the belt J is not. It therefore follows that the shafts J J will be rotated by the motor K in reverse directions. When, therefore, the shaft J is engaged with the takeup roller J,the music-sheet will be movcdforward in the direction to effect the playing of the instrument. The music-roller will meanwhile be rotated by the drag or pull of the music-sheet, as it will then be disengaged from its shaft J XVhen, however, by the oscillation of the lever J the shaft J is engaged with the music-roller, and the shaft J is disengaged from the take-up roller, the musicsheet will be moved in the reverse direction, this movement it is not intended to effect the playing of the instrument. In order that it shall not do so,the lever J 5 has combined with it a lever, J which will shift the valve J into a position to cutoff communication betwen the wind-chest and the equalizer 0 whenever the shafts J and J are shifted, so that the rewinding or backward movement of the music sheet will be effected.

The motor K consists of a number of collapsible and expansible chambers communicating with a common trunk under control of a suitable valve or valves, and having their movable parts connected by links to a crank upon a rotary shaft which carries the pulleys whereby the belts J? J are driven. The trunk of the motor is in'comnmnication with the equalizer 0 under control of a valve, K, which may be operated by a hand-piece whenever itshall become desirable to render the motor inoperative. This valve may also be used for varying the speed of the motor. In practice its operating-handle will of course extend to the front of the instrument.

I will now describe my improvement.

L L designate pneumatic motors, shown as made in the form of small bellows having swinging outer boards. The outerboards of these two motors are connected together, so that they will always move in unison, by means of a bar, L These motors L L are outside the wind-chest; but they may internally com-- municate either with the windchest or with the external atmosphere; and to admit of this each has combined with it a port, Z, leading from its interior, and across-port, Z, intersecting the port Z, and leading both to the windchest and to the external atmosphere. The port Z has combined with it two valves, Z" Z. Each of these valves will be closed by a spring whenever its closure is possible. Between the valves Z Z a pin, Z, extends. This pin causes the valve Z of each pair of these valves to open whenever. the valve Z is closed. The valves Z are opened by means of small pneumatic m0- tors LL. These pneumatic motors L L are 1 arranged within the wind-chest, but are normally held in a collapsed condition by means i of the springs actuating the levers which form the valves Z Z". Owing to the interposition of the pins Z between the valves Z Z", the valves Z will be held normally open, and hence the motors L L will be normally in communication with the atmosphere and free to move in either direction. These pneumatic motors L" L communicate internally with ducts M M", extending upwardly through the tracker and terminating at the top thereof beyond the range of theducts which lead to the pneumatic motors H, whereby the reed-valves are operated.

I have before remarked upon the fact that a considerable space in the music-sheet is ordinarily left without perforations between two adjacent tunes. Such space or spaces I pro vide with perforations or openings which are adapted to operate in conjunction with the ducts M M". I have lettered these perforations or openings N N.

It will be observed that one is at the rear end of one tune or melody and the other just before the beginning of the succeeding tune or melody. Vith each tune or melody is co1nbineda perforation, N, at the forward end and another, L, at the rear end. As shown, these perforations are in the edge of the musicsheet, but they need not be in the edge, although they should be laterally beyond the range of ducts for the reed-valve pneumaties.

With the ducts M M-, I combine a slidevalve, 0, which is, as here shown, titted toslide across the top of the tracker. It may be 0perated by means of a bell-crank lever, O, having one arm connected to it, and the other arm connected to a stop or hand piece, 0. This valve 0 may consist of a strip of anysnitable material- 21s, for instance, thin brass. It has two ports corresponding to the ducts M M I'Vhen it is adjusted so that its ports will coincide with the ducts M M", then these ducts will be operative; but when shifted into the reverse position,so as to remove its ports from com m unieation with the ducts M M then these ducts become inoperative.

If the person using the musical instrument does not desire a repetition of any tune or melody, then he will shift the valve 0 so that the ports of the latter will be out of linewith the ducts M M. The music-sheet will then have no effect whatever upon these ducts. Should the person using theinstrument desire to effect the repetition of any tune or melody, then he will shift the valve 0 so as to cause its ports to coincide with the ducts M M The music-sheet will then operate in conjunction with theseducts' Except when the perforations N N pass over the ducts M M", the music-sheet will keep the ducts covered and inoperative; but when'the perforation N at the rear end of the tune passes over the duct M it allows atmospheric air to pass through the latter into the pneumatic motor L, whereupon the adjacent valve Z corresponding valve,

will be opened, and the Z, allowed to close. The

pneumatic motor I will thus be put in communication with the wind-chest, and will thereupon immediately become collapsed. As

the motor L is then in communication with g the take-up roller.

the atmosphere, it does not prevent the collapsing of the motor L.

The bar L is provided with a bar, m, which has at the free end a pin, m, entering a slot in one arm of the bell-crank lever m, whose other arm is connected to the lever J by means of a pin and slot.

When the motor L is collapsed in the man- 'ner just described, the lever at will be oscillated, and it will oscillate the lever J so as to cause it to engage the shaft J with the music-roller and disengage the shaft J from Then the music-sheet will be returned or moved backward by being wound upon the musicroller J. It will not, however, be moved far beyond the perforations of themusic-sheet representing the tune or melody which was played just before the perforationhl' passed over the duct M", for when the music-sheet shall have been moved backward to such an extent as to have caused the entire series of notes representing this tune or melody to have passed over the tracker the perforation N of the music'sheet will ooact with the duct M, and cause the shifting of the lever J and the consequent disengagement of the shaft J from the music-roller and the engagement of the shaft J with the takeup roller. This will be effected as follows: When the perforation N of the music-sheet passes over the duct M, it permits the discharge of air through the latter into the pneumatic motor L whereupon this motor is expanded and is caused to open the adjacent valve Z". The valve Z when thus opened permits the corresponding valve, P, to close. The opening. of the valve Z and closing of the valve Z cuts off communication between the atmosphere and the motor L and establishes communication between this motor and the wind-chest, whereupon the motor L will be collapsed. The lever on will be oscillated, so that it will vibrate the lever J in such manner that the latter will disengage the shaft J from the music-roller J and engage the shaft J with the take-up roller J As the motor K operates continuously, the music-sheet will then again move forward to shift or drive forward the tune or melody which it previously played.

I do not wish to be confined in the application of my improvement to a musical instrument which employs a perforated music-sheet, as it obviously may be applied to musical instruments having music-sheets, cards, or tablets of other kinds.

I do not wish to be limited to the use of a driving-motor which shall operate continuously in one direction, as it would be possible to reverse the music-sheet, card, or tablet by simply reversing the direction in which the motor operated, providing the motor were properly combined with the music-sheet, card, or tablet. This notification will be too obvious to require any further explanation of it.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to-secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination, with a mechanical musical instrument having a controlling perforated music-sheet, of a motor for driving said music-sheet, pneumatic mechanism for effecting the reversal of the action of the motor upon the music-sheet, ducts comprised in said mechanism and controlled by the music-sheet, and a valve combined with said ducts so as to render them operative or inoperative at will, substantially as specified.

' \VILLIAM B. TREMAINE.

Witnesses:

D. H. DRIsooLL, CHAS. T. WARD. 

